1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compacting apparatus, and in particular to refuse compactors such as for household use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In one form of conventional refuse compactor, a drawer is movably mounted in a cabinet for selective disposition within the cabinet in a compacting position wherein a ram moves downwardly into the drawer to compact refuse previously placed therein. As a result of such compacting of the refuse, substantial quantities of refuse may be compacted before requiring transfer to disposal means such as conventional trash pickup garbage cans.
The drawer is conventionally moved to an accessible position exteriorly of the cabinet to permit placing of the refuse thereinto in a loading position. Further, disposition of the drawer in the loading position provides free access thereto for removal of the compacted refuse when desired.
It has been found that when only a small piece of trash, such as a facial napkin, bottle, or the like, is to be placed in the drawer, the movement of the relatively large drawer to the fully accessible loading position is relatively troublesome. One solution to this problem has been to arrange the compactor so that the drawer need only be opened partway to accept such small refuse items. This solution is not fully satisfactory in that where a substantial amount of trash has been previously compacted in the drawer, even the limited movement of the drawer is somewhat relatively bothersome because of the relatively large weight which has to be moved to accommodate introduction of such a small trash item.
In certain compactors, means for providing access as for introducing the refuse into the container may comprise a small opening above the level of the container in the outer cabinet. One example of such a compactor is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,944 of John A. Boyd for a Kitchen Compactor. In this patent, the ram, or pressing platen, is spaced above the compacting container in the retracted position to permit introduction of the refuse into the top of the container through an access opening in the front of the cabinet. The container is maintained within the cabinet at all times until the container is filled with compacted refuse, whereupon the entire front wall of the cabinet and movable platform means is withdrawn from the compactor to permit removal of the compacted refuse. The ram means is maintained effectively, at all times, in a preselected configuration and is moved by water pressure between the retracted and compacting positions thereof.
A further form of refuse disposing device comprises a refuse incinerator having an associated compactor as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,999 to Robert F. Smith entitled Incinerator with Compactor. In said patent, a waste material inlet opening is provided in the upper portion of the cabinet for feeding refuse into a combustion chamber. A compactor is disposed below the combustion chamber for compacting the products of combustion before introduction thereof into a subjacent disposal receptacle.
Baling machines showing structure somewhat pertinent to the present invention are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,603,204 to J. Hansen for a Power Baling Machine, and 3,145,647 to I. V. Dinkov et al for a Cart Filling and Baling Machine.